Ramon Capistrano shot 30 points as Team Surigao I jump-started its Fil A campaign with a front-running 108 points in the 69th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament on Monday at the Baguio Country Club (BCC) in Baguio City.
Surigao I got 28 points from Don Petil, 26 from Edgardo Lopez and 24 from Lito Camo for a seven-point lead over Che Lus I on a day when the weather turned from cool to fair. Former Tourism Secretary Ace Barbers had 16 points and did not count for the team from Mindanao.
Che Lus I had 101 points on the 30 of Mike Castro, 26 of Warren Pettelier, 23 of local surgeon Ed Montenegro—the team’s “import”—and 22 of John Quinata.
Summit Point Golf and Country Club was another three-shot down with 98 thanks to the 30 of Edsel Opulensa.
Over at Camp John Hay (CJH), Rollie Valdez opened with a 30 to lead San Miguel to 111 and a two-shot lead in Am A.
Mikey Punsalan counted with a 30, Bong Sison and Dennis Nicomedes added a 29 and 27, respectively. Rene Unson, a member of the Megafiber team that won the seniors championship, did not count with his 24.
Rodolfo Brobio and Alvin Buenaventura each shot a 29 to lead Forest Hills Palmer to 109, two off the first-day leader in the longer CJH course.
Two teams are lodged at third, two off Forest Hills at 107, Benlife Producers-Bank and Srixon.
Waterlympics Clark shot an opening 86 to hang on to a one-point lead despite a two-point penalty in Fil D competitions. Team Surigao II came in with an 85, three shots on Kiss Juice Apple.
Paterno Hernandez Jr. submitted a 28 to lead Rural Bankers II to an 89 and a three-shot lead in Am D.
Cool Jocks was three shot down with an 86, another three up on Square and Compass Nueva Ecija. Three other teams were so close to Square and Compass with Moto shooting an 82. NBI Golf Team 157 was another shot down, while Monterey was at 80.
Defending champion Manila Southwoods, meanwhile, opens its bid in the Fil and Am Championship on Tuesday at the BCC course.
Yuto Katsuragawa, the star of the 2016 Southwoods champion team, will lead youth-laden team from Carmona. He will be joined by another Japanese, Aguri Iwasaki.
Cousins Aidric Chan, Ateneo’s top senior high player, and Carl Corpus as well as veteran Junjun Plana will try to make Southwoods a 17-time champion in the Fil-Am, and tie Canlubang’s record.
Southwoods, however, is the most dominant team ever counting its wins in the Am Championship since joining in 1997.
Lanz Uy and Liam Cullins will also return to make it a double whammy for Southwoods in the Am Championship anew. The two helped Southwoods to a whopping 50-point victory last year.
This year, Southwoods will parade newbies Josh Jorge, Sean Ramos, Jegg Jung and another Japanese, Masaichi Otake.
Three teams will challenge Southwoods, including former champion Mizuno X-1R with brothers King and Ace Stehmeier returning to give the team another shot at the title.
Local player Luigi Paolo Wong will play for Royal Northwoods this year. The 18 year older from nearby La Trinidad, Benguet saw action for Southwoods last year and played two four under pars at CJH for 40 points, but did not count at the BCC course after rounds of 24 and 27.
Richard Joson returns for Northwoods, as well as Carlo Villaroman, Nik Gatmaytan and former Mizuno ace, Ray Sangil.
Top amateur player Rupert Zaragosa will lead another former champion Forest Hills Puma. Zaragosa, who won one crown for Cargo Masters, will be backed by last year’s group I individual runner-up and club manager Jude Eustaquio, who was actually tied for the lead but lost to countback to 16-year older Joon Hyung Kim of Southwoods.
“I am ready to make another run,” said the pint sized Zaragosa.
The Forest Hills line up will also have: Inigo Raymundo, Rocky Co and Dan Cruz, last week’s hero for Luisita Golf and Country Club’s repeat in the Senior Am Championship.
Mizuno and Forest Hills will also have teams in the Am Championship that also include Batangas Barakos and Philippine Navy.
ALMOST. Former Junior wold golf champion Jenz Tecson of Mizuno-Power Systems reacts after missing a birdie putt at the Baguio Country Club. He where scored 29 points for the team which is competing in the Fil-A of the 69th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament. Fil-Am Media